Chapter 5: Building: Additional Features

OVERVIEW
You are now well on your way to creating whatever you can dream up! There are just few more building features that can make your creations really pop. Did you know that you can make a prim wiggle like jello or light up the area around it? You can also create a prim that can be walked through, or can fall to the ground or even disappear after a short time.


Learning Objectives:
By the end of this module, you will have the following skills:

• Changing qualities of objects so that they can disappear, be walked through or fall to the ground
• Making objects that are flexible
• Modifying objects so that they give off light
• Using sculpted prims

You will demonstrate your new skills by:

• Creating a variety of objects that wiggle, flop, light up and even disappear!
• Rezzing and modifying complex prims (sculpted prims)

Parameters

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BUILDING: ADDITIONAL FEATURES - MISSION 1
Have you ever wished you could fly through the roof or walk through a wall? What about making an object that just disappears after a minute? You can do all that and more just by selecting some easy-to-use building features called parameters.

Instruction

In Second Life building, a parameter defines a quality or characteristic of a prim. You can set a prim so it cannot be moved. You can also set it so that it falls to the ground, can be walked through or disappears. Let's practice these easy features now.

Practice

Object Parameter Controls.

Step 1: Finding the object parameter controls
The object parameter controls are located in the Object tab. Edit Window > Object Tab > Object Parameters

Find the object parameters. Notice that they are unchecked.

Locking an object.

Step 2: Locking an object
Choosing the Locked parameter prevents an object from being accidentally moved or changed while building. It's very useful when building a complex object or when building with others.

Rez a prim. Choose Locked from the object parameters. Try to move it!

Making an object physical.

Step 3: Making an object physical
Selecting the Physical parameter makes an object that looks like it responds to gravity. If it is rezzed in the air, it will fall to the ground!

Rez a prim and choose Physical from the object parameters. Position it so that it is in the air above the ground. Close the Edit window and watch it fall!

Making an object temporary

Step 4: Making an object temporary
A Temporary object will disappear one minute after it rezzes. This feature can be great for special effects, like fireworks, or when you want to quickly show someone an object. You could even use a temporary prim as a stopwatch!

Rez a prim and check the Temporary parameter. After one minute, you should see it disappear.

Making an object Phantom

Step 5: Making an object phantom
An object that is Phantom can be moved through. If a wall is Phantom, you can walk through it!

Rez a prim and stretch it so it's larger than your avatar. Select Phantom from the object parameters. Now walk or fly through your prim!

These parameters are easy to use. You can even combine them! Could any of your previous creations use these features? Go modify them! Building: Additional Features

Flexi Prims

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BUILDING: ADDITIONAL FEATURES - MISSION 2
Flapping flags and swirling skirts. What do these have in common? Flexi prims!

Instruction

Flexi prims are regular prims that have flexible characteristics. They can seem to droop with gravity or sway with the wind. The flexi controls are easy to use and experiment with. Let's get started!

Practice

Step 1: What is a flexi prim?
Flexi prims:

• Can be made from any prim based on a cube or cylinder shape.
• Are always phantom.
• Cannot be physical.

Rez at least six cube or cylinder based shapes. Stretch each one so that it is taller than your avatar. You will change each one as you explore the different ways an object can become flexible!

Making a Prim Flexible.

Step 2: Making a prim flexible
The Flexi controls are located in the Edit window in the Features tab. Edit Window > Features Tab > Flexible Path Checking the Flexible Path box will make a prim flexible.

Edit a prim to make it flexible. You will see each flexible feature is preset with specific numbers.

The Softness feature.

Step 2: Softness
The Softness feature controls how soft, or floppy, a prim will appear.

Edit one of your prims and make it flexible. Practice changing the level of Softness. The higher the number, the softer the prim. Move your prim around to really see how soft it looks.

The Gravity feature.

Step 3: Gravity
This control determines how much a prim will respond to gravity. A high number will make your prim slump over. You can even choose negative numbers if you want an object to have mysterious anti-gravity qualities!

Edit another prim and practice changing only the Gravity setting.

The Drag feature.

Step 4: Drag
Drag is the amount of air friction on an object. An object with low drag will wiggle like crazy! A high amount of drag will allow an object to sway gently.

Edit a prim and change the amount of Drag.

The Wind feature.

Step 5: Wind
The Wind settings determine how much a prim will react to the Second Life wind. Picture a wind sock or flag that changes direction with the wind.

Edit a prim and change the Wind settings. Try rotating and changing the position of the prim to see how it reacts to the wind.

The Tension feature.

Step 6: Tension
The Tension control adjusts the amount of springiness in a flexi prim. The lower the number, the springier it will be.

Change the amount of Tension in a prim. You may need to move it around to notice the change.

The Force feature.

Step 7: Force X, Y and Z
Remember the axis directions? Red: X axis - Green: Y axis - Blue: Z axis Increasing the Force of an axis makes the prim flop along that axis.

Edit a prim and change the amount of Force along each axis. Notice how the prim aligns itself along an axis as you increase the number.

Adding Light

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BUILDING: ADDITIONAL FEATURES - MISSION 3
You already know how to make an object glow from within using the Fullbright feature. What if you could make an object give off light like a light bulb? The Light feature allows you to do that!

Instruction

You can set an object to emit, or give off, light by using the Light feature. Just like a light bulb, it can be dim or bright.

Practice

Changing Day to Night.

Making a prim have light.

Step 1: Changing day to night
To really see light effects, the Second Life time of day should be Midnight. You can force the time of day by using the Force Sun feature. This will only affect how you see the area around you. World > Force Sun > Midnight

Force Sun to Midnight. When you are done with this mission, you can use the same feature to change the sun back using Revert to Region Default. Tip: This effect only lasts until you log out of Second Life.

Step 2: Making a prim have light
The Light controls are located in the Edit window in the Features tab. Edit Window > Features Tab > Light Checking the Light box will make a prim emit light.

Rez a prim and select Light. You will see each feature is preset with specific numbers.

Setting a light's color.

Step 3: Setting a light's color
Changing a light's color will not change the color of the prim, only the light it is emitting. To change a light's color, click on the white box to bring up the Color Picker window.

Change the color of the light coming out of the prim you rezzed in Step 2.

Setting a light's intensity.

Step 4: Setting a light's intensity
A light's Intensity refers to how brightly it shines on other objects nearby. The higher the number, the more intense its light.

Change the light intensity of a prim.

Setting a light's radius.

Step 5: Setting a light's radius
A light's Radius is the distance a light shines. A low number will cast light for a small area such as around a campfire. A high number allows the light to travel as much as 20 meters.

Change the light radius of a prim.

Setting a light's falloff.

Step 6: Setting a light's falloff
Falloff refers to how fuzilzy or sharply a light ends. A light with a low Falloff number will very gradually fade away.

Change the light falloff of a prim. You will be able to notice this effect much more if the light also has a high intensity. Tip: Although you can set how far a light can travel, you cannot set its direction. You can use Radius and Falloff to make sure your light effect stays just in the area you want it to.

Adding subtle light effects can add drama and mystery to an object. Try setting out a few lights and see how the look of an object changes - especially at night.
Tip: You can add lights even if the prim itself is transparent! Building: Additional Features

About Sculpted Prims

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BUILDING: ADDITIONAL FEATURES - MISSION 4
Sculpted prims are new and special kinds of prims that are actually created outside of Second Life. Although you cannot create them inworld, you can use and modify them to add complex and interesting shapes to your builds.

Instruction

In previous building modules, you may have noticed Sculpted as a prim type listed in the drop down Building Block Type menu. Sculpted prims are created using 3-D modeling programs and then imported into Second Life. You are given a few sculpted prims in your Inventory. Others are for sale or given as freebies throughout Second Life. Because they are very complex, one sculpted prim can take the place of an object made of many prims. You cannot twist or carve a sculpted prim, but you can change its size, position and rotation.

Practice

Finding sculpted Prims.

Step 1: Finding sculpted prims
Sculpted prims are made up of two textures:

• The Sculpt texture determines the shape of the prim.
• The Surface texture is the graphic or image on the outside of the prim.

Examples of both kinds of textures can be found in your Inventory:
Inventory > Library > Textures > Sculpt Textures > Sculpt and Surface Textures

Creating a sculpted prim shape.

Step 2: Creating a sculpted prim shape
All Sculpted prims begin as spheres. After rezzing a sphere, choose Sculpted from the Building Block Type drop down menu. A Sculpt Texture Picker will appear. Click on it to choose a Sculpt Texture for the shape of your object. You will also be able to position, rotate and stretch the sculpted prim.

Selecting Apple as Sculpt texture.

Rez a sphere and change its shape to Sculpted. Open the Sculpt Texture Picker and choose Apple from the folder of Sculpt Textures in your Library.

Step 3: Texturing a sculpted prim
Sculpted prims can be textured just like regular prims. However, because their shapes are more complex, textures may look different and need to be adjusted. You have textures in your Library specially created to match the Sculpted prim shapes provided for you. They are in a special folder:
Surface Textures.

Selecting Apple from Texture Picker.

With your apple shape in Edit, select the Texture tab and choose Apple from the Texture Picker. You should now have a very realistic apple! You also have Sculpt and Surface textures to make a number of different fruits. If you have a moment, make a plateful!


Flags represent many of the ideas, values and events countries and other groups of people hold dear. If you were going to make a flag that represented you, what would be on it? Using all the skills you've learned so far, make a flag that represents you. Use the flexi controls to make your flag flap in the wind. Use the light controls to light up your flag during the night! You may use other skills you already know to build, stage and take a snapshot of what you would like as a texture on your flag.

Continue to Chapter 5: Textures: Beyond the Basics